TITLE: Thankful

RATING: G
WARNING: Not DH Epilogue Compliant
WORD COUNT: 404

Prompt: Inspired by the phrase "It was on fire when I got here."

Not planning what he would say, Harry walked quickly down to the dungeons into his old Potions classroom where he had heard Snape had taken residence in.

After knocking once and not hearing a reply, Harry put his ear to the door hearing a strange crackling and hissing. Though he knew he might just be turned away for bothering a potions experiment (if not for some other excuse), Harry cracked open the door and walked in only to be greeted to the sight of Snape's pensieve burning.

He panicked when he heard a deliberate rustle from behind him. Seeing Snape, he couldn't help but blurt out, "It was on fire when I got here!"

For a moment, Harry saw Professor Snape raise a small, amused brow.

"I'm aware of that Potter. The destruction of a pensieve is a slow, smoldering one requiring time and a potion I had already brewed. What I'm not aware of is why I find you in my classroom. It is customary for a graduate of Hogwarts to leave."

Ignoring the last part, Harry turned again towards the fire. There were other questions he wanted answered, but Harry only gazed at the violet flames engulfing the Professor's pensieve.

"Why are you burning it? Aren't these supposed to be rare or at least expensive?"

"With the war being at its end I no longer require to live a life storing my memories away. They are something to live with now."

In place and respect for those that were lost.

Snape stepped by Harry, turning his attention on the burning pensieve.

Harry wouldn't say sorry. There was no reason to be sorry for distrusting Snape given what had happened. But Harry couldn't deny Snape's support especially since it ultimately saved everyone's life.

"Professor. I-I'm glad you survived."

After a moment, he received a small nod from Snape, and Harry turned towards the door to leave.

"It isn't something I thought either of us would have, but I'm glad Headmaster's plan as we knew it, failed."

"Professor-"

"What I'm saying Mr. Potter is that I am also glad you were not a casualty of an old war."

There was no reason to be sorry for the outcome or the times during the war. Instead, there was only one more thing to say: "Thank you Professor."

Only after Harry left to use Madam Pomfrey's floo had Snape returned the gratitude to the dying flames.